1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement for the interchange of data between a rigid or semi-rigid data medium and a data interchange device, particularly one for reading data contained in the medium.
The invention relates more particularly to such an arrangement intended to be fitted to a motor vehicle and in which the data medium, which is, for example, in the form of a card or badge of rectangular overall shape, carries data identifying the user of the vehicle which, when he introduces his badge into the reading device, authorizes him to use the vehicle by, in particular, allowing him to start the vehicle engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous examples of such arrangements in which the data medium is a rigid or semi-rigid card comprising, for example, an integrated circuit, or chip, which is connected to reading means of the device by electrical contacts and/or by a data interchange antenna, are known.
When the badge or the card is introduced into the device, the card is introduced manually into a housing in the unit in which the data medium occupies a given active position, and the device which receives the card or the badge comprises means for longitudinally holding this data medium in an active position in the unit so that data interchange can occur correctly.
In the case of an application to a motor vehicle, it is necessary to be able not only to hold the data medium in an active position, but also to lock it by immobilizing it in this position in response to a locking command so as to prevent the driver or a passenger from being able to extract the data medium from the reading device at an inopportune moment under certain vehicle use configurations.
In order to improve the convenience of use of such an arrangement, it has already been proposed that means be provided to assist with introducing the data medium into the device and/or extracting it therefrom. To this end, the data medium comprises, for example, a window, and the unit comprises a lever for immobilizing the medium, which lever is mounted to pivot about an axis between a stable immobilizing position toward which the immobilizing lever is elastically returned and in which an immobilizing finger formed at the free end of one arm of the immobilizing lever extends vertically into the window to longitudinally hold the data medium in an active position in the unit, and a retracted stable position toward which the lever is elastically returned, and in which the immobilizing finger is out of the window, and in which the data medium can be extracted from the unit.
The unit also comprises a controlled member for locking the immobilizing lever in its angular position for immobilizing the data medium, a finger of which can extend facing a part of the immobilizing lever so as to prevent the latter from rotating from its active immobilizing position toward its retracted position.
According to one known embodiment, the member for locking the immobilizing lever is controlled by an electromagnet or by some other type of electrical actuator.
The invention sets out to provide a new way of controlling the locking member which, in particular, makes the entire arrangement very ergonomic, in association with greater operating safety associated with the sequence of deliberate manual actions on the part of the user as a result of the design according to the invention.
To this end, the invention proposes an arrangement of the aforementioned type, wherein the immobilizing member is a member that is controlled manually by a first xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button mounted to slide between a pushed-in xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position in which the immobilizing lever is locked in the immobilizing position, and an xe2x80x9coutxe2x80x9d position of rest toward which it is elastically returned, and wherein there is a retaining mechanism for automatically keeping the first push-button in the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position, the release of which is controlled by a second, xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d push-button which is mounted to slide between an xe2x80x9coutxe2x80x9d position of rest toward which it is elastically returned and a pushed-in xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position in which the first xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button is free to slide.
According to other features of the invention:
the two push-buttons, namely the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d button and the xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d button, are mounted to slide parallel to the longitudinal direction of insertion and extraction of the data medium and, in the xe2x80x9coutxe2x80x9d position, each push-button protrudes with respect to one and the same wall of the unit;
the mechanism for automatically retaining the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button comprises a rocker, mounted to pivot about a fixed axis perpendicular to the direction in which the xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d push-button slides, which comprises a control arm, the free end of which is connected in terms of translation to the xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d push-button, and a retaining arm which carries a retaining finger which extends, parallel to the axis of pivoting of the rocker, inside an L-shaped retaining slot formed in the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button and which comprises a longitudinal section parallel to the direction in which the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button slides and in which the retaining finger moves when the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button is pushed in from its xe2x80x9coutxe2x80x9d position of rest to its pushed-in xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position, and comprises a transverse retaining section which the retaining finger automatically enters when the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button reaches its pushed-in xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position;
the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button comprises a main plate in which the L-shaped slot is formed and which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis of pivoting of the retaining rocker;
the retaining rocker comprises a return arm on which a return spring constantly acts to urge the rocker to pivot in the direction that corresponds to the retaining finger entering the transverse arm of the L-shaped slot and to the xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d push-button being returned to the xe2x80x9coutxe2x80x9d position of rest;
the return spring is a compression spring mounted longitudinally compressed between the free end of the return arm of the rocker and a bearing tab belonging to the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button;
the axis of pivoting of the immobilizing lever is parallel to the plane in which the longitudinal direction of insertion and extraction of the data medium into the unit is located and is perpendicular to this longitudinal direction;
the immobilizing lever comprises a radial tab which, when the immobilizing lever is in the retracted position, extends across the path of the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button so as to prevent the latter from being pushed in when there is no data medium in an active position;
pushing the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button into the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position operates an electric switch borne by the unit;
the electric switch is operated by a part of the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d push-button;
the arrangement is fitted to a motor vehicle in which the anti-theft functions are partially or completely fulfilled by data processing, some of which data, contained in the data medium, represents an authorized user or a group of authorized users of the vehicle;
the switch belongs to the circuit that supplies electrical power to the vehicle engine starter.